EX-TN BJP MLA Frontrunner For Lone MP Rajya Sabha Seat

The RS seat has fallen vacant following the resignation of the sitting MP and Union minister L Murugan from the central ministry as well as the membership of the Upper House earlier in the month.

He had gone to the RS from MP in April 2024 and his term in the Upper House was to expire in April 2030.

The core committee of the state BJP met here under the chairmanship of party’s national general secretary in-charge of Madhya Pradesh Viplav Dev and prepared a panel of five candidates for the Central Election Committee of the party to choose one of them, a senior BJP functionary said.

Prominent other leaders who attended the meeting included state BJP president Hemant Khandelwal, chief minister Mohan Yadav, Union minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and state minister Kailash Vijayvargiya.

Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia was the notable absentee in the meeting.

“The core committee of the state BJP met here (to discuss the prospective candidates for the upcoming RS elections in MP). A panel of four-five candidates was prepared by the committee for submission to the Central leadership to finalize the party nominee for the RS by-elections in MP”, Mr. Khandelwal said.

Without identifying the prospective party candidates, he said that “The leaders recommended are from the state as well as outside the state”.

Sources said that Ms. Srinivasan who represented South Coimbatore Assembly constituency in Tamil Nadu in 2021-26, was the lone candidate from outside the state to figure in the panel.

She is believed to be the front-runner in the race for the party's RS ticket from MP.

Other prospective candidates for the RS ticket included state BJP general secretary Rahul Kothari, former ministers Arvind Bhadoria, and Ranjana Baghel.

The ruling BJP is in a comfortable position in the state Assembly to retain the RS seat in the November 12 by-elections.